If you’ve ever searched on Google, “whether diet or exercise more important to lose some extra pounds?”, you’ve probably come across this 80 by 20 rule, which says – 80% of your diet and 20% of exercise plays a vital role in the overall weight loss program. But, have you ever wondered, where did this arbitrary formula come from? Does it really work? And how effective it is?

What is the 80/20 Diet Rule?

As I have already discussed above that the 80 by 20 rule talks about the importance of 80% nutrition and 20% strength-training workout. While most of us take it otherwise, it is necessary to understand the role of diet as well as exercise on our body.

Both nutrition and exercise go together, and neither can deliver expected results without the other. For example, if you are doing core workouts for 1-2 hours daily and not taking care of your eating habits, you’ll hardly notice any difference in your body. This means that exercising helps you shed those extra kilos and the right amount of food helps you gain the desired energy you need for the workout.

Backed by science, the 80 by 20 rule should be kept in mind if you’re willing to maintain a healthy and sustainable weight loss program.  However, that doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want throughout the day and exercise for half an hour or so. By 80% nutrition, I refer to a food plate, which contains an equal proportion of required vitamins, minerals, fats, protein, fibre and carbohydrates.

How to ensure the Intake of 80% Diet Every day?

Since we need to include the right amount of nutrition in every meal we eat, here is a list of food you can consider ensuring the intake of 80% diet every day:

• Protein – Though an Indian breakfast usually starts with a glass of milk, there are several people who lack protein in their body. Also known as one of the major building blocks, the right intake of proteins aid in weight loss journey as well. Other than milk, the rich sources of protein include peanuts, cheese, yoghurt, gram flour and paneer. You can also eat fish to fulfil the needs of protein.

• Fibre – In case if you want to overcome the problem of indigestion and constipation during the weight loss program, you must include fibre in your diet. To maintain its quantity, you can think of eating whole grain food, leafy vegetables, pulses, and fruits.

• Fat – To cut down the extra flab from your body, you obviously need to consume good fat to replace the bad fat. It does not imply that you can fill your plate with unsaturated fat, which is harmful and cancerous in nature. Focus on including the healthy fat in your diet, which ranges from walnuts, mustard oil, pure ghee, dried fruits, cashew nuts, almonds, and sesame oil.

• Carbohydrates – We often focus on reducing the intake of carbohydrates during weight loss, but it is the most important nutrition you need to consume for a healthy and fit body. Make sure that your food plate has 40% of carbs, which include fresh fruits and vegetables, roti, rice, and whole wheat or multigrain bread.

• Vitamins and Minerals – Everyone knows how important the vitamins and minerals are for building immunity, we still tend to neglect them. Have some dry fruits or eat an apple or a banana to get your daily dose.

Why it is important to maintain the 80 by 20 ratio?

The 80 by 20 ratio helps you maintain the calorie intake while you perform the regime workout. If you’re a fitness fanatic and want to lose some kilos. You must have a good understanding of the basic idea behind calorie in and calorie out. This means that the more calories you consume, the more calories you should burn. Keep yourself active despite your busy schedule and don’t give up on any meal!

The Bottom Line

No matter how long you continue your workout, eating the right food will always be the major part of your fitness regime.

Look healthy, stay fit and enjoy a better lifestyle!

All the best!